The Forgotten
by Takenokohime
Summary: Over 800 years before Avatar Aang, Avatar Nuka rose to power in the Northern Water Tribe. Despite being gifted at bending, the young Avatar faces great adversity and hostility in her own homeland for not following their male-dominated customs. Can she maintain balance in the rest of the world while facing alienation in her own homeland? Rated T for violence and mild suggestiveness
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes: Hi everyone, I'm Takenokohime. Avatar has been one of my favorite shows for years and I've always found the mythology of the world very interesting, particularly the mythology surrounding the Avatar. I know that a lot of fans, including myself, have wanted stories about previous Avatars, so this is my shot at writing a story about a previous avatar! My story centers around an Avatar from the Northern Water Tribe about 800 years before the main story, so expect the world to be very different from how it is in Aang's time. Please let me know what you think by leaving a review and follow/favorite if you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Avatar: The Last Airbender universe and have no affiliation with either Avatar: The Last Airbender or Nickelodeon.**

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Chapter 1: The Frozen Land

The icy tundra of the North Pole was a normally inhospitable place, but this evening was more extreme than most nights. A blizzard had started earlier in the day, and the sun had been up for less than a quarter of the day. The winds howled and snow swirled everywhere, making it nearly impossible to be outside. Despite the harsh conditions, a man was wading through the snow, dragging a tiger seal behind him. He was a large, stocky man in his late thirties with medium brown hair tied back in a topknot. Behind him trailed a wolf saddled with knives and a spear. The wolf stopped in the snow and barked at the man.

"We can't stop right now, Spear. We have to get back home as soon as we can," the man said to the wolf.

Spear looked up at the man but continued to stand by. The man begrudgingly set down the tiger seal carcass and walked up to Spear. "Pilok is due to give birth any day and I need to get home."

The wolf wouldn't budge. The man sighed and reached into his pocket, pulling a piece of seal-jerky out. He broke the jersey in two, eating one half and holding the other half in front of Spear. "If you come along I'll give you this piece of jerky."

Spear took the piece of jerky from the man's hand and began crunching it. The man turned around, picked up the tiger-seal carcass and continued walking forward. After about ten feet he looked back to see if Spear was following him, and sure enough the wolf was slowly trekking behind his master. After another mile, the man made out the faint light of a fire.

"Almost home boy," the man called back to Spear.

A few more yards and the two had arrived at a small camp with three tents and a central communal firepit. Two men were sitting by the fire, chatting. One was around the same age as the first man, while the other was significantly older.

"Igaluk, Tekketsertok!" the first man called to the two by the fire. "I killed a tiger seal! It should be enough food to last us a week!"

The younger of the two by the fire, Igaluk, walked over to the man entering the camp. He grabbed his arm and pulled him into a hug. "Glad you made it back safely, Akissiak. Pilok would be devistated if anything had happened to you."

Igaluk and Akissiak walked back over to the fire with the seal carcass. Tekketsertok smiled at the two younger men as they sat down by the fire with the tiger seal. Tekketsertok pulled out a paring knife from his parka and began cutting into the seal's flesh. After some of the seal's blood leaked out, Tekketsertok removed his right glove, dabbed his fingers in it, and smeared the blood on the face of Akissiak.

"May the spirits bless you for the kill you have made," Tekketsertok said softly as he wiped the blood off his hand and went back to cutting the meat off the carcass.

Akissiak and Igaluk took out their knives as well and worked to cut the flesh off the seal. Spear approached the fire pit and began whimpering at the men to share their kill. Akissiak cut a strip of the seal's belly fat off and threw it to Spear, who ravenously devoured it.

"That wolf will become lazy if you keep feeding him like this. They're supposed to be hunting animals for us, not pets," Tekketsertok lectured.

"He's barely had anything to eat over the past three days. Besides, he helped separate the seal from its pod while I was hunting it," Akissiak said defensively. He then turned to Igaluk. "How has Pilok been doing the past few days? Has she already had the baby?"

"She's been in labor for most of today, actually. Sedna's in your tent with her. The girls are in with them as well," Igaluk replied. "And unfortunately you know the custom. You can't come into the tent until after the baby has been born."

Akissiak nodded. "It is better though that we aren't in there while she's giving birth. How are my daughters doing?"

"Nasaka and Niviarsiaka are well, although it seems like Nasaka is having a hard time getting used to the idea of having another sibling," Igaluk said, laughing slightly.

"She is only three years old, so I don't think she entirely understands the situation. I remember Niviarsiaka had a hard time when Nasaka was born," Akissiak added. "I wonder if the new baby will be a waterbender like Nasaka is."

"Perhaps. It would certainly be nice to have another person who can defend the camp while one of us is out hunting," Igaluk responded.

"You better hope that your new child is a son. Having nothing but daughters is bad luck," Tekketsertok muttered. "Besides, women have no status here. Nasaka's waterbending is useless since she'll never be using it for combat."

A woman walked out of the largest of the three tents and walked over to the three men. Two young girls, ages seven and three, followed the woman out. The older girl ran up to Akissiak and hugged him from behind.

"Papa! You're back!" the older girl exclaimed.

Akissiak turned around and grabbed the girl, pulling her onto his lap. "Niviarsiaka! I missed you so much!"

The younger girl jumped onto Akissiak and hugged him. "Papa, we watched the baby get borned!"

"Oh, you did? So the baby is here already?" Akissiak asked.

The woman walked up to the fire pit and sat beside Akissiak. Akissiak turned toward her and nodded. "Sedna, the girls said that the baby has been born already?"

"Yes. She was born early evening," Sedna replied.

"She? Another girl?" Akissiak asked.

Sedna smiled and nodded. "She's so beautiful. I'm very happy that you and Pilok have given me another niece."

"May I see Pilok and the baby?" Akissiak asked cautiously.

"Of course. Everything has been cleaned up and the baby has been swaddled," Sedna replied.

Akissiak got up from the fire pit and approached the tent Sedna and the girls had come out of. He pulled back the entrance to the tent and entered, quickly followed by the girls. Pilok was laying on a pile of furs with a seal pelt covering her lower body. Pilok, normally a very put-together woman, had her dark brown hair loose and her tan skin glistened with sweat. She cradled a tiny baby wrapped up in a wolf pelt. Akissiak's niece, Pipaluka, knelt beside Pilok and was whispering at the baby.

"Akissiak," Pilok said softly. "You made it back safely. Come meet our new daughter!"

Akissiak walked over slowly and knelt next to Pilok and the baby. His new daughter had a small amount of dark brown hair and pale blue eyes. She looked up at Akissiak, who smiled contently at the little girl.

"What should we name her?" Akissiak asked.

"I was thinking we should name her Nuka," Pilok replied.

"Nuka. I think that's a beautiful name," Akissiak said in agreement.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes: Thank you so much to iowaforever and Treemist1022 for your reviews! It's great to hear that people are enjoying my story so far and enjoy the premise! Here we get to see a little more of what Water Tribe society was like several centuries before Aang, so hopefully I did a decent job at writing it. Don't forget to leave a review and follow/favorite if you enjoy the story!**

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Chapter 2: Little Wavemaker

Summer in the north always stood as a stark contrast to winter. The sun never seemed to set, and on rare occasion the snow would begin to melt, revealing the polar steppe hidden underneath. The people inhabiting the north would often venture out into the ocean for great hunts, and a sense of community would form as the small family groups would merge into larger, temporary villages while food was more plentiful.

Akissiak's family had joined up with four other families this summer closer to the coast so the men could hunt more easily. Alutiik, a man in his early fifties, had come with his wife, oldest son, and daughters. Sirenik, in his forties, had brought his wife, parents, and children. Aalik was a single man around twenty who had joined the group with his older sister, Attu, and her son. Finally, there was Erkajok, a man in his late thirties who had traveled with his wife and children as well as his brother's children.

The younger children tended to get along quite well, although it seemed like the boys who had come with the other families weren't quite sure what to make of Nuka. The five year old girl was quite unafraid to speak her mind and seemed to enjoy frightening the boys. Nasaka, despite being older, would often follow Nuka's lead in playing tricks on the boys. Part of this was due to the enjoyment of watching the boys be frightened by a little girl. Part of it was that Nasaka knew Nuka was more scheming than she was at her age and she liked to encourage her sister.

Nuka was an odd child, her parents had to admit. She had begun Waterbending at age two and was already able to perform techniques that would take more than just three years of practice to learn. Her personality seemed very different compared to her sisters and cousins as well. Very loud and blunt, with a huge sense of self-confidence unusual for children her age. Akissiak hoped that she would eventually become less boisterous and become a more proper Water Tribe girl, but she was still young and her behavior was more tolerable.

The children were playing along the coast one day and splashing around in the shallow water. Tiriak, Attu's seven year old son, was attempting to show the others how he could bend the water to create a wave.

"See! Look how I'm getting the water to come in waves!" Tiriak shouted.

Nuka looked down and the water was only rippling slightly. It was very unimpressive. She could easily do better than that. She pulled up her pant legs and waded into the water next to Tiriak.

"I can do better than that, Tiriak," she said, giving him a bored look.

"No you can't. I actually train with a Waterbending teacher and you only learn from your uncle," Tiriak retorted.

"Uncle used to be a Waterbending master until he got hurt when he was hunting!" Nuka shouted. "I'll show you!"

She began pushing and pulling with her body until the water was sloshing around their legs.

"Alright, fine, so you can do better than me..." Tiriak conceded.

Nuka wasn't done, however, and a few seconds later a large wave hit Tiriak from behind. The boy seemed shocked and turned to look at Nuka. Nuka started laughing and soon Tiriak began laughing as well.

"You got me pretty good!" Tiriak laughed. "Nuka, you should train with me and my teacher sometime!"

"Really?!" Nuka exclaimed. She then began skipping around in the water happily around Tiriak. Tiriak got back on his feet and began skipping around with Nuka, the two taking every opportunity to splash each other.

On the shore, Akissiak, Pilok, and some of the other adults were watching the children play.

"Your daughter has quite the talent for Waterbending," Alutiik said to Akissiak.

"She does. I'm quite proud of how good she is. It's a shame though that she won't be using it much when she's older," Akissiak sighed. "If only she'd been born a boy, then she could have a future as a warrior."

"Strong women have no place in our society. They need to learn from an early age that they are supposed to tend to the needs of their family, not be off Waterbending," Erkajok muttered.

"She's five years old. There will be time for her to learn her place later," Akissiak insisted.

"She'll be a woman before you know it. As soon as her womanhood starts, she has to be married off," Erkajok replied. "It's not good for women to wait to get married."

Alutiik scoffed at Erkajok's remark. "What's the harm in her not marrying as soon as she becomes a woman? At least that way she'll have more of a childhood. I personally don't care at all to see thirteen and fourteen year old girls getting married and having babies when they are still children themselves."

"Think of how society will look down at you for having daughters who are fifteen, sixteen, or older who are still unmarried!" Sirenik said. "Speaking of which, Akissiak, your oldest is fourteen already. When will she be married off?"

"Ideally by the end of summer. I know my brother has assured the engagement of his daughter to Aalik and they'll be married at the end of summer as well," Akissiak sighed.

"My oldest son, Tuuk, would be a good match. He's seventeen, which is an ideal age for someone to marry," Sirenik suggested.

"I'll speak to her about it this evening," Akissiak replied.

Sirenik and Erkajok got up and walked over to pick up some spears and other weapons. "We're going off to hunt," Erkajok said. "Either of you coming with us?"

Alutiik shook his head. "I'm old. I'd just slow everyone down. If you want someone else to go with you go ask my son."

The two men walked off with their weapons and headed off toward the plain. Alutiik moved over closer to Akissiak and Pilok, seemingly happy to be rid of the two other men.

"You know, my son Aklak is teaching Attu's son Waterbending. I'm sure he'd be interested in teaching Nuka Waterbending as well," Alutiik suggested.

"Perhaps," Akissiak said, shrugging. "Would it be proper to teach a woman waterbending?"

"I see no harm in it. Taught my daughter Anaaya Waterbending when she was a little girl and nothing bad has happened. She helps us fish during the winter and spring with her ability," Alutiik replied.

The three adults went back to watching Tiriak and Nuka splashing around. Alutiik got up from his seat as well and began walking toward his tent. "At least consider my offer," he said as he walked away.

Pilok gave Akissiak a look. "You know that if she hears someone is offering to train her she'll beg us to let her train."

"I know," Akissiak sighed. "Maybe I can let her train at least until she becomes a woman. It wouldn't ruin her, would it?"

"We wouldn't have to tell her suitors that she is a trained waterbender. Besides, we both know you'd regret not giving her the opportunity," Pilok replied.

Nuka and Tiriak began charging up the shore to the adults, giggling loudly as they approached. The two were soaking wet and Nuka's hair, which had been pulled back in a braid, was now loose and hanging around her shoulders. The little girl stopped in front of her parents while Tiriak hung back a little.

"Mama, Papa, Tiriak said that I should train with him and his Waterbending master! Can I please train with them?" Nuka squeaked.

Pilok gave Akissiak a smug look. Akissiak sighed and looked at his daughter, who was smiling wildly. "We were discussing this earlier. Would you like to train with Tiriak's teacher Aklak?"

"Yes! More than anything!" Nuka yelped enthusiastically.

"You would have to leave home to train. Are you alright with that?" Akissiak asked.

"Mmhmm. I'm brave. I can do it!" Nuka assured her father.

"Alright. Once Aklak returns we'll speak to him and see if he'll take you on as a student," Akissiak sighed.

"Yay! Thanks Papa!" Nuka squealed, hugging Akissiak tightly.

The young girl then ran off to where her friend was standing and hugged him as well. "I'm gonna start training with you!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes: First off, I was planning on updating this much sooner, so I'm sorry I haven't! I had to get emergency dental work done a couple days ago, so that prevented me from writing because I wasn't feeling well. But, I'm all better now, so don't worry! Secondly, I started working on some cover art for this story which I'll (hopefully) be able to start using in a couple of chapters. And finally, thank you for your continued support! I'm really enjoying working on this story and it makes me very happy to know people enjoy reading it. Don't forget to leave a review and follow/favorite if you enjoy!**

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Chapter 3: Setting Out

The end of summer came quickly and harshly. Within weeks the weather shifted from sunny and warm for the location to snowy and freezing. The camps that had been set up by multiple families were beginning to be taken down and the individual families had begun dispersing. In the camp that Akissiak's family was living, preparations were being made for both Niviarsiaka and Pipaluka's weddings as well as Nuka's departure from the family to begin Waterbending training.

Niviarsiaka sat down in the tent she, her parents, and her sisters had been living in. Nasaka was helping Nuka pack a sack to take with her to Alutiik and Aklak's winter camp. Pilok, meanwhile, was braiding Niviarsiaka's thick dark brown hair and applying makeup to her face. Ash from the firepit on her eyelids, a concoction of earth and crushed berries to her lips and forehead. Nuka and Nasaka looked up from their packing to inspect their oldest sister.

"Mama, why are you putting stuff on Niviarsiaka's face?" Nuka asked.

"Your sister is marrying Sirenik's son Tuuk this evening," Pilok replied calmly.

"Oh. Why does Niviarsiaka have to get married?" Nuka questioned.

"Because she has become a woman and it's proper for women to marry at a young age," Pilok answered sternly. "In a few years you two will be getting married as well."

"Nuka, let's get back to packing," Nasaka said softly.

"I can talk and pack at the same time," Nuka insisted. "Is Niviarsiaka still gonna live with us?"

"No. Once my husband's family leaves, I'll go with them," Niviarsiaka answered quietly.

Nasaka sniffled a little and wiped her nose on the sleeve of her parka. Nuka scooted closer to her sister and leaned on her. "Nasaka, why are you crying?"

"I'm not...my nose is runny because it's cold," Nasaka denied.

Nuka moved away and resumed packing. Her clothes had all been packed away and now she had moved on to her blankets and other personal items. Nasaka sighed sadly and exited the tent. Niviarsiaka and Pilok looked over toward the tent exit then at Nuka. The five year old got up from the ground and ran out the tent after her older sister.

"Nasaka!" Nuka called after her sister.

The older girl, a few feet ahead of Nuka, turned around and stared angrily at her, tears running down her cheeks. "What do you want?"

"Why are you so sad? Everyone else seems happy about Niviarsiaka getting married," Nuka asked, concerned.

"She's leaving us Nuka! She's leaving us behind and we won't ever see her again!" Nasaka cried. "Don't you understand that!?"

"But-but everyone seems happy..." Nuka stammered.

"They're happy because she's 'a woman' now! And this same thing is gonna happen to us when we're her age!" Nasaka crumpled to the ground and covered her face with her hands. "I don't wanna get married and leave Mama and Papa! I don't wanna have to live with some older boy who I barely know!"

Nuka walked over to Nasaka and hugged her from behind. "But you'll still have me!"

Nasaka leapt up and spun around, causing Nuka to be knocked over. "No I won't! You're leaving me too for stupid Waterbending training! You aren't even supposed to be trained because you're a girl!"

Nuka got up, shocked by her sister's sudden outburst. "It's NOT stupid and just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I can't learn it!" Nuka retorted.

"There are a lot of girl waterbenders and they never get to train! Ever! If anyone ever gave me the chance to train with a Waterbending master, I'd be so grateful! But no one has because I'm not as good as you! Everyone always calls you gifted and a prodigy, but no one ever even calls me good!" Nasaka shouted. "You're leaving me for something I wish I could do! I-I hate you!"

Nasaka suddenly gasped and began crying harder. She then walked off in the direction of the tundra. Nuka stared at Nasaka as she walked off, mouth agape.

"I hate you too!" she screamed before loudly breaking into tears.

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Tiriak was surprised to see Nuka standing outside his family's tent with her sack of belongings. It was poorly packed, with the sleeve of a parka hanging out and a blanket practically dragging on the ground. The girl had a scowl on her face and her skin was blotchy, like she'd been crying. Tiriak walked over to his friend and stood beside her.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm leaving my family, since Nasaka already thinks I am..." Nuka muttered.

"Oh. Are you sure you want to leave them?" Tiriak asked,

"Yes," Nuka said in a low voice.

"Okay. I think Aklak said he wants to leave in a couple days. You should spend time with your parents and sisters," Tiriak sighed.

"I already told you I'm leaving them. Niviarsiaka is leaving us too," Nuka muttered.

Tiriak sat down beside Nuka and motioned for her to sit down too. Instead, she stubbornly remained standing.

"Why do you want to leave your family?" Tiriak asked.

"Niviarsiaka is leaving us forever and Nasaka thinks I'm leaving forever too. But I'm not. I'll just go away to learn Waterbending for a few years then come back," Nuka replied, becoming less tense as she began speaking.

"My uncle says it takes more than just a few years to learn Waterbending though..." Tiriak said quietly.

"So Nasaka might be gone too when I'm done?" Nuka asked, startled.

Tiriak nodded and noticed tears welling up in Nuka's large blue eyes. She began sobbing loudly and dropped her sack.

"She's gonna be gone by the time I'm done! She hates me for leaving but she's leaving too!" Nuka cried. "I hate Nasaka! I hate her I hate her I hate her!"

Tiriak looked around nervously then went inside his tent. Inside, his mother and uncle were discussing something quietly. Attu turned to face her son, who remained standing by the tent entrance.

"I hear somebody crying outside. Is everything alright?" she asked in a concerned tone.

"Um, Mom, would it be okay if Nuka stayed with us tonight? She had a fight with her sister and is really upset," Tiriak asked.

Attu glanced at Aalik, who had begun to pack up the family's belongings while Attu was speaking to her son. "Would you be alright if Akissiak's daughter stayed with us tonight?"

Aalik shrugged. "I suppose, but Pipaluka is supposed to be staying with me tonight."

"Oh, you can consummate your marriage with her once we leave! Besides, Aklak and Alutiik are leaving in two days and I want the children to have a fun time before they begin training," Attu said dismissively.

"Seems you've already made up your mind then," Aalik laughed. "You almost never let me make decisions when we were kids, and even now you don't."

Attu rolled her eyes at her younger brother and turned back to her son, who was giggling. "Consider yourself lucky that you're an only child, Tiriak," she said to the boy. "Tell Nuka she can come in and spend the next two nights with us if she wants. I'll go speak to her parents about her staying with us."

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The night of Niviarsiaka's wedding passed and the following morning she left the large camp with her new husband's family. Erkajok's family left that afternoon, leaving Akissiak's family, Alutiik's family, and Attu's family. The camp felt empty without the larger families, and tensions were high as the remaining people collected their things and prepared to leave. Alutiik and Aklak had decided to set out that evening instead of the next morning, meaning the two children coming to train with them had even less time to prepare and say goodbye to their families. Meanwhile, Nuka and Nasaka continued avoiding each other, worrying their parents.

"Do you think the girls will say goodbye to each other?" Akissiak asked Pilok quietly as they watched Nuka pack with Tiriak.

"I can't say. It may take a while before they start speaking to each other again," Pilok sighed.

The sun had begun to set and Alutiik wished to set out before it got to dark. He said that if they were able to travel a little ways out before it became dark, they be able to reach a winter campsite faster. Alutiik's youngest daughter, Apia, appeared around the corner and walked up to Akissiak and Pilok.

"My father wants to leave now. Can you please tell your daughter that?" Apia said softly.

"Of course," Akissiak replied as Apia turned back around. "Can you go find Nasaka and tell her that her sister is about to leave?"

Pilok nodded and walked off to Attu's family tent, where Nasaka was visiting Pipaluka. Akissiak let out a deep, sad sigh and bent down beside Nuka and Tiriak.

"Master Alutiik wants to leave now. It's time to say goodbye, dear," Akissiak said sadly, his voice crackling.

"Oh. Okay," Nuka said, picking up her sack and sleeping bag. She then noticed her father growing misty-eyed and looked up at him. "Don't cry Papa. I'll be back some day. And I'll be a Waterbending master then."

Akissiak scooped up his youngest daughter and sat her on his shoulders, carrying her belongings in his arms. He walked out of the tent followed by Tiriak and headed toward the communal center, where Alutiik and Aklak were waiting with the rest of their family. Aklak was a lean man in his late teens with shaggy medium brown hair. He had completed his Waterbending training about two years before and was declared a master once he turned eighteen. He looked at his two new pupils excitedly and waved to them.

Akissiak let Nuka down and handed her items back to her, and she and Tiriak ran up to their new master.

"Master Aklak!" Tiriak greeted.

"Are you two excited to begin training?" Aklak asked.

"Yeah!" Nuka and Tiriak shouted in unison.

Pilok joined the small crowd of people by the center, a disappointed look on her face. A moment later Attu, Aalik, and Pipaluka appeared. Alutiik looked around to make sure no one else was gathering around, and then proceeded to address the adults.

"We're going to set out now. Aklak and I will do our best to make sure the children are cared for and protected. I can't say yet when they'll return, probably sometime in their teenage years," Alutiik said. "If you want to say goodbye, you can before we leave."

Pilok and Akissiak knelt down with their youngest daughter and hugged her tightly. Akissiak began weeping softly, and hugged Nuka tighter.

"I'm going to miss you so much," he whispered into the collar of her parka.

"I'll miss you a lot too, Papa. I'll think of you every day, I promise," Nuka whispered back. The girl then leaned back from the embrace of her parents and looked around. "Nasaka isn't going to say goodbye, is she?"

Pilok sucked in her breath nervously. "No. She said she didn't want to."

"Tell her that I don't really hate her. I was just mad," Nuka said sadly.

"She knows that you don't really hate her, just like you know she doesn't really hate you," Pilok insisted.

Alutiik glanced up at the sky then walked over to Nuka and her parents. "The sun is setting rapidly. We have to leave now if we want to make any progress tonight."

"Okay," Nuka replied. "Goodbye, Mama and Papa."

The young waterbender picked up her sack and sleeping bag and went to join the group. Tiriak moved beside his friend and smiled at her. "The two of us are going to be the best waterbenders ever!"

Nuka smiled back and the two began walking out into the tundra, following their new masters. Their new life of Waterbending training was about to begin.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes: Thank you again everyone who's been following this story for your continued support! As a heads up, this chapter does involve a small timeskip. I didn't want to focus too heavily on Nuka's childhood training in order to keep the pace of the story, plus we'll still see plenty of her training later. I also apologize for this chapter being on the short side. I had a couple of big papers due for some of my classes, and writing those has taken up more of my time. But we'll be back to longer chapters very soon! Also, cover art is progressing and should be uploaded in a week to a week and a half! And as always, please leave a review and follow/favorite if you enjoy!**

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Chapter 4: Healer

Several years had passed since Nuka and Tiriak began their training, and now the two were young teenagers. Nuka had advanced much more quickly than Tiriak and could have left her training to return to her family a few years earlier, but she chose to remain to be with her friend.

The two had matured physically, and now looked quite different from the young children they had been when they left. Tiriak, now almost fifteen, was very tall for his age and had developed a muscular body. He kept his light brown hair in a topknot, and had received two tattoos on his chest for fending off raiders. Nuka, now thirteen, was around average height for a Water Tribe woman but had very well-defined muscles. Unusually for a woman, she kept her hair very short, which she insisted was to prevent it from getting in her face during training or combat. Like Tiriak, she had received tattoos for defeating raiders, but they were on her biceps instead of chest.

The two were practicing freezing water to create ice for combat one day, a skill that Tiriak struggled with. Aklak had insisted upon him practicing his weakest skill while he observed so he could make corrections and offer advice.

"Alright. Start by concentrating on the water in front of you," Aklak began his lecture. "Feel the temperature of it."

The two teenagers bended some water out of the waterskins they carried with them, and held the water out in front of them. Nuka took in a deep breath and then shot her arm forward, the water following the path of her arm. She then moved her fingers together and the water became shards of ice. She splayed her fingers apart and made a crushing motion with them, making the ice transform back into water. Sweeping her arm back toward her body, the water flowed back into her waterskin and she stood by, waiting for further instruction.

"How can you do that so easily? You've been able to transform water into ice since you were six, and I still can't do it at fifteen," Tiriak complained.

"I'm sure to feel the temperature of the water and breathe. You have a tendency to forget to breathe while you're bending," Nuka said.

"If I wanted to focus on my breath I'd go off and learn from the Air Nomads," Tiriak griped.

"Breath is important to all forms of bending. My father has seen masters of each element practice their art, and the thing he says every time is that they are sure to breathe," Aklak said, glancing at Tiriak. "Try focussing on your breath this time and don't think so much about trying to make ice. It will happen."

Tiriak sighed as Nuka smiled at him. "Here, we'll do it at the same time," she encouraged, drawing the water out from her waterskin again.

The two looked at each other and nodded. Sinking into their bending stance, the two inhaled and moved their water in front of them. They then shot the water out in front of them and pressed their fingers together, creating ice shards.

"I did it! I can't believe I did it!" Tiriak shouted.

"I knew you could!" Nuka enthused.

However, in Tiriak's moment of distraction he allowed the ice to break out of his control and soon ice shards were raining down across the training area. "Watch out!" he shouted at Aklak, who was in the path of most of the ice shards, but it was too late. Aklak was able to dodge some of the shards but a large shard landed in his stomach. Aklak fell over and the snow near him began to turn red.

"Master Aklak!" Nuka screamed, running over to her master. Tiriak just stood by, stunned that he had hurt his teacher so severely.

Nuka removed the ice shard from Aklak's stomach and removed his parka as well, then undid his undershirt. "It doesn't look like its a deep wound, it's just bleeding a lot," she reassured the two men.

She then cupped her left hand and began pushing it forward slowly. The bleeding began to slow down, then with her right hand she drew a small amount of water from her waterskin. She forced the water onto Aklak's wound and held it there. The water began glowing faintly but soon grew brighter. She continued holding the water on Aklak's wound until the water ceased glowing and poured off his stomach. Nuka moved back from her master nervously, but soon smiled and began laughing.

"What? What is it?" Aklak asked, sitting up.

"Look at your stomach!" Nuka grinned.

Aklak looked down and the wound was no longer bleeding. In fact, the only trace of it was a small scar. Aklak gasped and moved back quickly from Nuka.

"Wha-! How!?" Aklak sputtered.

"I healed your wound," Nuka replied, a hint of pride in her voice. "I was able to hold some of the blood back and then I used the water to heal it."

Tiriak ran up to where Nuka and Aklak were, and looked down at Aklak's stomach. Sure enough, the wound was gone. "How is this even possible?" he asked, bewildered.

"I'm not sure. But I did it," Nuka responded.

Aklak got up and grabbed his clothes. "We should go speak to my father about this. I've never seen anyone heal someone with bending, but maybe he has."

Aklak began walking back to the camp, trailed by Nuka and Tiriak. Nuka was beaming with pride, and skipped ahead of the other two, eager to speak to Master Alutiik about her newly discovered talent.

* * *

"In all my years of being a master and traveling around the world, I've only ever known one other group to be able to heal using bending," Alutiik chuckled.

Alutiik, Aklak, Tiriak, and Nuka had all gathered into Alutiik's tent and were sitting around his central firepit. Nuka eagerly listened to Alutiik, while the other two were more cautious.

"The Sun Warriors in the Fire Nation are known to be able to heal by using fire to manipulate the chi. By doing this, they are able to make the body heal itself. It can't heal grave injuries, but it is very useful for non-life-threatening ones. Perhaps you were able to do something similar with the water," Alutiik continued.

"Maybe. I was able to feel the energy coming from Master Aklak when I healed him, and I could almost feel it travel through his body. But to stop the bleeding I bended back the blood itself, since blood is a liquid," Nuka explained.

Alutiik looked at the girl, stunned. "Oh my. I have never encountered anyone able to do that. It would take a very strong bender to be able to do either of the things you've this afternoon."

Aklak turned to face his father, a look of shock on his face. "Father, are you suggesting..?"

"I'm not suggesting anything," Alutiik said dismissively. "However, I would like Nuka to remain with me for a little while after you two leave."

"Very well, Father," Aklak nodded. He then got up and tapped Tiriak on his shoulder. "We should leave them."

"Alright," Tiriak said. As he exited he waved to Nuka and smiled. "Tell me about what happens!"

Once the other two left, Alutiik faced Nuka and looked her in the eye. "Nuka, you are easily one of the most powerful waterbenders I have encountered, which is quite remarkable for someone so young. Remind me, how old are you exactly?"

"I'm thirteen. My birthday is around the winter solstice," Nuka answered.

Alutiik nodded. "That's around the time Avatar Tayisung would have passed away," he muttered.

"Are you suggesting that I could possibly be the Avatar, Master Alutiik?" Nuka asked.

"Not necessarily. However, I do think that it is worth investigating. There have been plenty of claims here in the north as well as in the south, but none have ever proven to be valid," Alutiik said quietly.

"How would you go about seeing if I am the Avatar?" Nuka asked nervously.

"I can't say that to you. Otherwise you'd know what to expect," Alutiik replied. "It could invalidate the tests."

"Oh," Nuka said, disappointed. "How do you know so much about the Avatar?"

Alutiik chuckled loudly. "I was a very close friend of Avatar Tayisung when she was alive. We both learned from the same Waterbending master and I traveled with her for many years." Alutiik looked down sadly and wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. "We had so many good times together, but I chose to start a family and she chose to continue adventuring. She had asked me to go with her on what would have been her last trip, to the South Pole. She wanted to show me how different life was there. But she was killed in a storm on her way there thirteen years ago."

Nuka looked at her master piteously. "It must have been difficult losing your best friend. I hope I never lose Tiriak."

"Nuka, loss is a part of life. We can either dwell on it or we can move on," Alutiik said solemnly. He then changed the topic of conversation. "In order to determine if you are the Avatar, we'll need to travel to the North Pole. The best shamans and scholars our people have live there, and they will be able to answer far more questions than I can."

"Alright. Will Master Aklak and Tiriak come with us too?" Nuka asked.

"Yes. It's important to speak to those who have spent the most time with you," Alutiik replied. "Once the weather becomes safer to travel in, we'll leave. I can't travel in storms anymore! My old body won't let me!"

Nuka laughed. "Very well, Master Alutiik. I look forward to the journey when we begin it."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: I know this is a *very* short chapter compared to the previous ones and I'm really sorry, I just haven't had much time to write lately but I wanted to post something before the weekend ended. This brings me to my second point, I'm not going to be updating as frequently as usual for the next three to four weeks. Starting the first week of May I'm going to be having at least one exam a week for school, and this week is going to be my study week. I promise this story isn't going to end or go on hiatus, just expect maybe one update per week or so until the last week of May. Thirdly, this chapter deals with a slightly squicky issue (Nuka "becoming a woman"). Nothing is really explicit, and I included this since its a very culturally significant part of a woman's life in the Water Tribes when the story takes place. And finally, thank you so much for your continuing support on this story. Treemist1022 and iowaforever, you are both awesome for offering continuing encouragement and always leaving a nice review on each chapter. It really gives me the drive to continue this story knowing that I get a lot of support and encouragement from my readers! And as always, please leave a review and follow/favorite if you enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 5: The Pressure of Womanhood

Nuka was terrified. She was in pain and had begun bleeding heavily this morning, and unlike other injuries she'd gotten where the bleeding either stopped on its own or she could forcibly stop it using healing and bloodbending, this wouldn't stop. She ran into Tiriak's tent and began violently shaking him from his sleep.

"Tiriak! Tiriak wake up!" she screamed.

Tiriak bolted up and looked at Nuka, who had a look of pure horror on her face. "What! What's wrong!? Are we being attacked!?"

"No! I'm bleeding and it won't stop! Tiriak, I'm dying!" Nuka wailed.

Tiriak wrapped his arm around Nuka and stroked her short hair gently. "I'm sure you aren't dying," he whispered.

"I am! I am dying!" she cried loudly into his chest.

Tiriak's tent opened and Kana, Aklak's wife, looked in. She was a short woman in her late twenties who was at the time heavily pregnant with her first child. She looked at the two young people suspiciously.

"I heard crying and screaming coming from here. Is everything alright?" Kana asked, worried to hear what the explanation was.

"Nuka's bleeding and she says it won't stop," Tiriak replied.

Kana walked into the tent and knelt beside Nuka, who was sobbing inconsolably. "Nuka, dear, please listen to me. Where are you bleeding from? This is very important to know."

"In between my legs," Nuka muttered, burying herself further into Tiriak's chest.

Kana laughed and looked at Nuka happily. "You're going to be fine! You've just become a woman is all!"

Nuka pulled back from Tiriak and looked at Kana blankly. "So this is what people mean when they say that someone's become a woman?"

"Yes, this is exactly what they mean. I can assure you that you are not dying and that this is normal!" Kana replied happily.

Nuka withdrew a little from the two others in the tent and balled herself up into a fetal position. A look of sadness crept onto her face. "This means I'll have to quit training and get married soon, doesn't it? I'll be married off to a man I don't know and I'll never see anyone I care about again."

"No it doesn't, sweetie. I'm sure that Alutiik and Aklak won't make you quit training just because you've become a woman, and if anyone asks them about marrying you they can lie and say you haven't become a woman yet. You're still so young that people probably won't care," Kana reassured her.

"But what about when I'm older? Most Water Tribe girls get married as soon as they become women, and I won't be able to hide this forever!" Nuka asked nervously.

Kana sighed. "I'm not sure. You will have to get married eventually, unfortunately."

Tiriak looked at Nuka sadly and moved closer to her. "What do you want to do when that happens? I'll stand by you, no matter what."

Nuka smiled faintly at Tiriak. "Thanks. I really appreciate that."

"Oh! I've got it!" Kana exclaimed, looking at the two young people. "Maybe if people ask you can say that you're married to Tiriak! He's of age to marry, and you two are very close anyway. It would be believable."

"What do you think? Would that work once you can't pass for a girl anymore?" Tiriak asked.

Nuka nodded. "We would have to actually become a couple, would we?"

"No, not unless you actually wanted to," Kana replied. "Plus, since you're both studying under Alutiik and he's the head of this family, he has the authority to allow you to marry. It would add more credibility with him saying it."

"As long as it won't get in the way of me training, I'm fine with it. I won't let anything get in the way of my training, even if it means that I'll be breaking tradition," Nuka said firmly.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Notes: I was planning on updating this story over the weekend but I unexpectedly got sick over the weekend, so I didn't feel like I'd do as good a job in writing as I would when I'm healthy. So, sorry for the slow updating but here is Chapter 6! And we get a peak at the Order of the White Lotus several centuries before Aang! Keep in mind that the rituals of the White Lotus and in naming the Avatar will be pretty different from how they are 800-900 years in the future, but some things should still seem familiar. In other news, my first exam is tomorrow so I'm hoping it and the rest of my exams go well! This unfortunately means updates will still be slow for another couple weeks, but once I'm done with exams I'll be done with school, so that means more time to devote to writing! And finally, thank you for your continuing support and I hope you enjoy this next chapter! And as always, please leave a review and follow/favorite if you enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 6: The North Pole

The North Pole was the only permanent settlement in the Norther Water Tribe and served as a _de facto_ capital, although few people respected the governmental authority of the North Pole. The settlement was governed by Inuksuk, a man in his mid-twenties with a vicious temper. The oldest son of the previous leader, Inuksuk took power from an uncle and had ordered not only his uncle but all his male relatives old enough to pose a threat banished. Those who did not leave were executed on site.

In spite of the recent power struggles, the North Pole remained the only region with some sort of infrastructure. Several unrelated families had gathered and built up the village. The few scholars present in the Northern Water Tribe, which was at the time a largely illiterate society, all lived in the North Pole. The permanent structures in the settlement were constructed from ice and not animal hide like in the more temporary camps. Perhaps the most spectacular of the permanent structures was the Grand Shaman's Temple, which was the dwelling of the High Shaman and served as the center of religious authority in the Northern Water Tribe. The settlement was unlike anything Nuka and Tiriak had ever seen.

"It's so amazing!" Nuka shouted with joy as she ran around the village, Tiriak close behind her.

"These ice structures are incredible!" Tiriak gasped, looking up at the Shaman's Temple.

Alutiik, Aklak, and the other members of the family were a little ways behind the two teenagers, with the two men discussing what to do know that they had reached the settlement.

"Do you really think it's smart to have Nuka unattended here?" Aklak whispered to his father. "I know she can handle fighting off men if she has to, but she's never traveled to any permanent settlement. She may not be able to handle the way people act here. You've brought me here before and I know what to expect."

"She can handle it. I know she can. Just because the men here are buffalo yaks doesn't mean she can't handle it. Men are like that everywhere in our society," Alutiik lectured the younger man.

Aklak sighed. "I suppose." He then looked at his father, slightly irritated. "Now that we're here, will you tell me exactly why we've come? You told me it's so Nuka can learn more about Waterbending but you've said it yourself several times there's nothing left to teach her."

Alutiik looked his son in the eyes seriously and held up a Pai Sho piece. It had the image of a white lotus flower on it. "I don't understand. You're here to visit the other White Lotus members. Why did you bring Nuka and Tiriak? They're too young to be a part of it," Aklak replied.

Alutiik put the Pai Sho piece away and looked down, avoiding his son's gaze. "You know I spent much of my youth traveling with Avatar Tayisung. You actually met her once, but I'm not sure if you remember that."

"Vaguely. But what does that have to do with Nuka?" Aklak asked.

"Nuka's an incredibly gifted bender. She's the only waterbender I've encountered who's been able to use water to heal injuries or to be able to bend blood. The only bender I've ever encountered with that level of ability is the Avatar," Alutiik murmured.

Aklak stared at his father, trying to process what he had just been told. His pupil may be the Avatar? Finally he nodded and responded. "Are you suggesting Nuka could be the Avatar? Haven't there been any other claims or possibilities?"

"None that have proven to be true," Alutiik said softly. "Our fellow White Lotus members can help determine if she is the Avatar. And even if it turns out that my hunch isn't correct, I think she can learn far more about the history and culture of Waterbending here than she ever could from just studying with us."

Alutiik and Aklak walked up to one of the smaller ice buildings and entered. Inside sat a few men gathered around some Pai Sho boards. A younger woman walked past them, holding bowls of some sort of heated liquid. She caught Alutiik's eye and smiled at him.

"Welcome to our little gaming hut!" she called as she sat the bowls down in front of the men at the gaming board.

One of the men, a gentleman in his later years with several long grey braids, looked up from one of the boards and grinned. "Ah! I see Grand Lotus Alutiik has decided to join us at the North Pole finally!"

"Only temporarily, Unak!" Alutiik laughed. He then turned to the woman who was now leaning against the wall of the building. "Hima, it's nice to see you again! Last time I saw you, you were still a little girl!"

"Haha, yeah, I guess it has been a long time since I last saw you, Grand Lotus. My mother was still alive at that point, so it has to have been well over ten years. I'm sure you'll be happy to know I've been appointed a full member of the Order of the White Lotus since then!" the woman, Hima, replied. "Who's this with you? Is he one of your kids?"

"Yes, this is my oldest son Aklak, and a fellow member of the White Lotus," Alutiik said, introducing the young man impatiently standing by. "Aklak, this is Hima, Avatar Tayisung's daughter and one of the finest Airbenders I've ever seen!"

"I wouldn't know about that," Hima chuckled. "My mother easily had me beat there."

"So what brings you here, Alutiik? The last time you came here was for Aklak's induction into the Order," Unak asked.

"My son and I have been teaching two children Waterbending, and I have reason to believe that the younger of the two may be the Avatar," Alutiik began. "She is able to heal injuries using her Waterbending and is also able to bend blood. I've never seen skills quite like the ones she possesses."

Unak exchanged a nervous look with a few of the others in the building, then turned to Alutiik. "Your student is a girl!? Alutiik, you realize how serious an offense it is to teach a woman Waterbending?!

"Females learn bending in other cultures. Why should we be the exception?" Alutiik grumbled.

Hima glanced over at Unak and shrugged. "He has a point."

"He may, but imagine what would happen if Inuksuk knew. He would have you, your son, and your students executed for defying tradition!" Unak insisted.

"He doesn't have to know. For all he knows, Nuka is the companion of my male student, Tiriak," Alutiik replied. "And if it turns out she is the Avatar, there's no rule saying we have to publicly announce it as soon as we know."

"I suppose. When should we meet with your student?" Unak asked.

"Tonight. I know if she is not spoken to soon she might become too distracted by the new sights here," Alutiik said.

* * *

Nuka watched nervously as seven cloaked figures sat in front of her. They had met her at her dwellings that night and had guided her to the Grand Shaman Temple. Once there one of the figures had lit a fire at the center of the temple and now all of them sat in a semi-circle around the fire. Behind the figures was a pile of artifacts.

"Nuka," one of the figures began. "Welcome to the spiritual center of the North Pole."

"It's an honor to be here," Nuka replied quietly, bowing her head.

"The Order of the White Lotus welcomes you," another figure, who sounded like a woman, added.

"The Order of the White Lotus?" Nuka asked.

"We are a society who seeks to serve the Avatar and to help maintain order in the world," a third figure, sounding like a young man, answered.

Nuka looked at the figures and waited for instruction. They whispered amongst themselves then turned to face the girl.

"Please go retrieve three items from the pile," the cloaked woman said, pointing to the pile behind them. Nuka noted the faint shape of an arrow on the woman's hand but didn't say anything.

"Any three items?" she asked the figures.

"Whichever three stand out to you," a fourth figure, this one an older man, replied.

Nuka walked cautiously over to the pile of artifacts and inspected them. Some looked at least a hundred years old, while others were clearly very new. They were incredibly varied as well. She had never seen some of these things and was curious about what they were. She spotted a long, wooden item with strings attached to pegs. She picked it up and plucked at the strings, noting the beautiful sound the object produced. She walked over to the figures and placed the instrument before the figures.

"What's this instrument called?" Nuka asked.

"It's called a koto," the female answered.

Nuka nodded, disappointed to have not heard more information. Out of the corner of her eye, a piece of metal glinted in the moonlight. She walked over to it and picked it up. It was a knife, sheathed in a scaly hide. She withdrew the knife from its sheath and inspected it. Feeling confident with her selection, she presented it to the figures.

For the final object, she looked around to see if anything stood out. There were a few other large objects like the koto, as well as other vibrant objects like the knife, but none of these stood out in particular. Instead, her eye drifted to a small bracelet with beads carved from some sort of bone. She picked it up and inspected the beads, feeling the small shapes with her fingers. It was an alternating pattern of skulls and square beads with swirls carved into them. She walked back over to the figures and set the bracelet down, then sat across the fire from them.

The figures looked over the objects and the woman gasped, holding up the bracelet. Nuka waited impatiently for the figures to finish inspecting her objects. Finally, the figures regrouped around the fire and looked at Nuka, allowing some of their features to become visible. One of the older men had a greying brown beard while the other had grey braids hanging out from his hood. The woman had fairer skin than the others, and seemed to have arrows running up both of her hands. The young man also appeared to have a beard, and had scruffier light brown hair.

"This bracelet belonged to Avatar Tayisung. It was a prayer bracelet she would use to help her enter the spirit world," the woman began.

"This knife belonged to Avatar Daisuke. It was with this blade that he slew Moro, the great dragon that terrorized the Fire Nation," the man with the greying beard uttered.

"This koto belonged to Avatar Bulan. It was with this koto that she would summon members of the White Lotus to her. Additionally, it was her most prized possession from her closest companion, a woman named Eboshi," the man with grey braids concluded.

Nuka looked on at the figures eagerly, waiting for them to resume speaking. Instead they removed the cloaks from their heads one by one. Nuka loudly began laughing when she realized who two of the figures were and fell over.

"Master Alutiik, Master Aklak!" she laughed. "You scared me! I thought I was about to be kidnapped or something!"

Aklak smiled back at Nuka, while Alutiik grinned smugly at Unak. "I told you she was it!"

Nuka sat back up and looked to her other master. "Master, why did you have me come here? Why couldn't you tell me?"

"Nuka," Alutiik began. "You are the Avatar."

"What? How can you tell?" Nuka asked, desperate for answers.

Alutiik looked at the others, slightly taken aback by her reaction. Hima began speaking. "The three artifacts you brought back to us belonged to the previous three Avatars. We believe that since these were the most prized possessions of the past Avatars, the next Avatar will naturally recognize them."

"So if these objects belonged to the past three Avatars, what about the previous Water Tribe Avatar? Shouldn't there be an object from them as well?" Nuka questioned.

"The Order of the White Lotus is still a relatively young institution. Our order was founded less than two hundred years ago. We have only been present during Avatar Bulan, Avatar Daisuke, and Avatar Tayisung's lifetimes," Hima continued. "Additionally, we already know that you're a Waterbender."

"How can you be sure though that this is right?" Nuka persisted. "Isn't it possible that I just randomly picked up the right objects?"

"There are three thousand artifacts here, so the odds that you would pick these three randomly are incredibly slim. Plus you tell us, did you pick these objects randomly?" Hima asked, curious.

"Well no, I didn't. I picked the koto because it's like nothing I'd ever seen, and the sound it makes is beautiful. I chose the bracelet because there was a sense of energy coming from it. And I chose the knife because the hide the sheath is made from stood out," Nuka elaborated. "The sheath is made from the hide of the dragon Moro, isn't it? Since Avatar Daisuke slew the dragon with that knife."

"It is. And you say you feel energy coming from the bracelet?" Hima continued.

"Yes. When I'm healing someone I can feel their energy, and that bracelet had a similar sensation," Nuka answered.

Hima smiled slightly. "That sounds like how my mother used to describe that bracelet. It's carved from the remains of a giant lion turtle found near the mountains, and she used to say she could feel the energy of the lion turtle pulse through the bracelet when she was in a spiritual location."

Nuka got up and walked over to the koto, the only object that hadn't been discussed in detail. "May I play this?"

"Go ahead," Hima nodded.

Nuka knelt down and placed the koto across her lap, then began plucking at the strings. She noted how each cord sounded and then slowly began playing a rhythm on the koto. She loved the sound it made and kept playing it as the others discussed her fate.

"See. I told you all and you didn't believe me," Alutiik whispered.

"Yeah yeah yeah...you were right and I was wrong. But what do we do now, since we know the Avatar is a woman?" Unak whispered back.

"Continue training her here until she's ready to learn the other elements, I suppose. Even though she is a very advanced Waterbender, she could stand to learn more about the spirituality of it. Plus, I would like to inform her family about her unique abilities," Alutiik said.

"I can teach her how to write. It would be beneficial for her to know how to read and write, even though your culture isn't particularly known for its literacy," Hima added.

"Very well, so we're all decided?" Alutiik asked. The other White Lotus members nodded in response. Alutiik turned to face Nuka, who had continued playing on the koto. "Nuka, when do you wish to begin your training in the other elements?"

Nuka looked up and smiled. "I'm not sure," she replied quietly. "In a couple of years, I guess." Nuka then grinned a wide grin and laughed. "I can't wait to tell Tiriak! He probably won't be able to believe it!"

"When would you like to publicly announce that you are the Avatar, Nuka?" Alutiik asked.

"Probably when I leave to begin learning the other elements, so in a few years," Nuka replied. She then set the koto down and dashed off to the door of the temple. "Can I go tell Tiriak?"

"Yes. You're dismissed, Avatar Nuka," Alutiik said, smiling.

Nuka laughed again and ran out of the temple excitedly. Hima leaned over and glared at Alutiik. "I never imagined the Avatar would be so...hyper. Mom would be appalled that her successor isn't at all dignified."

"Give her time, Hima. I'm sure she'll grow into her position eventually," Alutiik insisted.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Notes: So, I survived my first exam (yay!) and now I'm procrastinating on studying for my hardest exam (boo...), hence the update today. This chapter contains some romance and I'm not good at romance, so hopefully it isn't too horrible! And in other news, I have made some significant process on the cover art for this story, so hopefully it'll be done by the next chapter! Finally, thank you iowaforever and Treemist1022 for discussing some events that are about to start happening with me!**

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Chapter 7: Making Things Known

Two and a half years had passed since the discovery that Nuka was the Avatar, and life for the young woman had changed greatly in that time. She was now more physically developed, although she still didn't have a particularly feminine figure. She still kept her hair short, but now would pull whatever loose hairs were in her face back into a bun rather than just have them tucked behind her ears.

For the sake of not attracting attention, Nuka and Tiriak would claim to be married to each other whenever in public, but they didn't have an official status of their relationship. The two had become romantically involved a year earlier, but Nuka insisted on not labeling their relationship since she would soon leave to master the other four elements.

Nuka would receive lessons from Hima in writing every few days, but didn't seem to take the lessons particularly seriously, much to Hima's chagrin. Once a month, Alutiik would take her to the shaman's temple to meditate, but again the young Avatar didn't seem to take it very seriously. Hima worried that she wouldn't take her future training seriously either, but Alutiik insisted that she would probably take it more seriously than learning to write or meditate. Nuka had never been one for structure, and she'd be allowed to have more control while learning the other elements.

Alutiik had made arrangements to have Nuka begin learning the other elements within the next few months, and planned to depart for the Earth Kingdom with her over the summer. Before leaving, however, Nuka would have to publicly accept the title of Avatar in a ceremony. In doing so, she would have to meet with Chief Inuksuk. Inuksuk had been informed that the new Avatar had been identified among the people currently living in the North Pole, but he had no idea that the Avatar was a woman.

News of the public ceremony and the presence of the new Avatar drew a large crowd, and hundreds of people descended upon the North Pole. A field of tents was set up to accommodate all the visitors, which drew the curiosity of Nuka and Tiriak.

"Do you think anyone we know is out there?" Nuka asked as she and Tiriak walked past the tent field.

"I guess it's possible. Why, are you hoping to see someone?" Tiriak said.

"My parents and my sisters. You know it's been over ten years since I last saw them, and I'd like to be able to see them before I have to leave. Master Hima told me that it can take ten years or more to finish mastering the other elements," Nuka said wistfully. She then looked at Tiriak sadly. "I might not even see you for several years!"

Tiriak looked away and let out a deep sigh. "I know. Alutiik told me that when an Avatar goes to train they have to leave all their attachments to their old life behind."

Nuka pulled Tiriak closer to her and hugged him tightly. "I don't want to leave you! I love you Tiriak!" she said, trying to hold back tears.

Tiriak smiled sadly and looked down at Nuka. "I love you too."

The two pulled away slightly from their tight embrace and kissed. Tiriak blushed at the public display of affection, something Nuka was usually opposed to, while Nuka herself began smiling.

"I guess this means we're acting like an official couple now," Nuka chuckled softly.

"Heh, I guess we are," Tiriak replied. "Do you think there's a chance I could visit you in the Earth Kingdom? I don't want to have to wait years just to see you again."

"Maybe. I'd have to talk with Alutiik and Hima and see if I'm allowed to have visitors. But I don't want to have to wait years to see you again either," Nuka said.

"Have Alutiik and Hima given you any clues about where you're going in the Earth Kingdom or who's teaching you?" Tiriak asked.

Nuka shook her head. "Not really. All I know is that I'm going to be learning from another member of the White Lotus. I remember they told me his name is Zei and that he's the grandson or something of Avatar Bulan."

"That's all they've told you?" Tiriak inquired.

"Mmhm. I wish I knew more than that," Nuka sighed. "Come on, let's start heading back. My public ceremony is at sunset and we won't have a lot of time before the ceremony to get ready. We can talk to Alutiik and Hima once we get back."

"Alright," Tiriak nodded, following Nuka as the two turned back toward the main village.

"Oh, and Tiriak, I want you to spend the night with me tonight. If I'm not going to be seeing the person I love for years, I at least want our last day together to be memorable," Nuka added quietly, blushing as she said the words.

* * *

"I will never understand why you insist on keeping your hair so short. It's improper for a woman to keep her hair short in any culture," Hima grumbled as she brushed through Nuka's coarse, sort hair.

"And I don't understand why you insist on doing my hair for this ceremony. I'll only be in front of the crowd for an hour, and they probably won't care how I look," Nuka retorted. "Besides, I'm sure ceremonies like this are different at the Air Temples."

"And you assume I'm more familiar with how Air Nomad ceremonies work? Nuka, I've spent the majority of my life here in the North Pole. The only times I've left were to get my tattoos and to attend my mother's funeral," Hima said, exasperated.

"Huh? Why? You're an Air Nomad, so why have you spent most of your life here?" Nuka asked.

"I may be an Air Bender but I'm not a full Air Nomad. My father is a Water Tribe member," Hima explained. "Unak is my father, and he pretty much raised me alone, since my mother was busy dealing with crises and traveling."

Nuka sighed. "I'm not going to have much time to spend with the people I care about once I become a fully-realized Avatar, will I?"

Hima shrugged. "It depends. In times of peace like this, there's less for the Avatar to oversee around the world. But during times of war the Avatar has to take an active role in trying to reestablish peace. You're lucky, Nuka. You're the first Avatar to have grown up in a time of peace in over a hundred years. You may be able to lead a fairly normal life."

"The past few Avatars didn't live during times of peace?" Nuka asked, her curiosity piqued.

"No. War broke out between the Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads during the last ten or so years of Avatar Bulan's life. Avatar Daisuke negotiated peace for the Fire Nation, but the war was still active in the rest of the world. And then my mother was able to broker peace between the Air Nomads and Earth Kingdom but she had to constantly act as an overseer to ensure neither side violated the peace agreement. Thankfully the peace has lasted, and you don't have to play an active role in global politics if you don't want to," Hima elaborated. "So, do you understand how the ceremony is going to go?"

"Mmhm. A procession leads me through the village and up to the Grand Shaman's Temple. The High Shaman presents me to Chief Inuksuk and then he presents me to the crowd. I give a speech and formally accept the title of Avatar, then I go meet some of the people. It all sounds so boring," Nuka groaned.

Hima flicked Nuka's head. "Be grateful that people are excited for your public announcement. The least you can do is pretend that you are excited too."

An attendant ran in, drawing the attention of the woman. The attendant, a young girl, bowed her head a little then looked at Nuka. "Miss Avatar, the High Shaman requests that the ceremony begins now."

Nuka sighed and got up, looking at herself in a mirror as she walked to the door. "I barely recognize myself. I look like a woman..."

The young Avatar was wearing an ankle-length dark blue dress with a fur trim around the collar and arm cuffs. Her hair was down and tucked neatly behind her ears, showing off a pair of earrings crafted from wolf teeth. She grabbed a fur cloak and placed the hood over her head to conceal her face, as it was considered improper for the members of the procession to show their faces.

Nuka was joined outside by a small crowd of other women from the village. Some were shaman's assistants, others were the wives of Inuksuk and other high-ranking men. Hima took up the lead position in the procession and passed a torch to each woman. Once all the women had torches, the procession began moving forward. Each woman in the procession walked in unison, which Nuka tried to copy. After a few feet, a drummer followed behind the women. Like them, the drummer wore a cloak that obscured their facial features, but two loose dark brown braids hung out from the cloak.

As the women drew closer to the Grand Shaman's Temple a crowd began following them. Men, women, and children fell in behind the procession, speaking in excited hushed voices. Nuka looked up and scanned the crowd for familiar faces, but couldn't recognize anyone.

Once at the temple, the procession broke away, leaving Nuka on her own before the High Shaman and Chief Inuksuk. The High Shaman was an old man, quite possibly the oldest person in the North Pole, and had several long grey braids with feathers and bits of fur mixed in them. He held a small bowl containing a paint of sorts, some of which was smeared on his face. Chief Inuksuk, on the other hand, was a tall man with medium hair tied back in a bun and a beard. He looked on impatiently as Nuka stepped forward to receive the High Shaman's blessing.

"Kneel, young Avatar," the High Shaman requested. Nuka knelt in front of him and waited as he looked at her face. "Ah! A woman Avatar! I never thought I'd see a female Avatar from the Water Tribes!"

Chief Inuksuk walked over and scowled. "A woman Avatar? How is this possible? Women can't learn Waterbending!"

"The Avatar Cycle doesn't favor one gender or another, even though earthly leaders wish it would," the High Chief grumbled before turning to Nuka. "As for you, please tell us your name."

"My name is Nuka," the young woman whispered.

The High Chief smiled. "Nuka, do you swear to uphold the responsibilities of the Avatar, to ensure peace, to defend the people of this world, to serve as the bridge between the Spirit World and the Physical World?"

"I do," Nuka said solemnly.

"Very well. Get up," Inuksuk growled. He grabbed Nuka, making her face the crowd. He then pulled down her hood, revealing her face.

The crowd seemed shocked to see a woman standing before them as the Avatar, and many were unsure of how to react. Some clapped, other gasped, but a majority remained silent. Nuka glanced around and spotted the drummer from the procession, who was looking directly up at her, giving her a good look at their face. The drummer was a woman as well, and looked very familiar, but after a few seconds she was able to place the woman.

"Nasaka..." Nuka muttered, shocked to see her older sister. Her mouth hung open a little and her hands trembled.

"I present to you your new Avatar! Avatar Nuka of the Northern Water Tribe!" Inuksuk called out to the crowd, snapping Nuka out of her thoughts.

Nuka sighed heavily and stepped forward to address the crowd. "Thank you, Chief Inuksuk. Citizens of the Northern Water Tribe, I know that I'm not what you would expect for your Avatar. In fact, I'm sure that as a woman I couldn't be further from your ideal Avatar. But I promise to serve you, and the rest of the world, as well as any male Avatar would. I will maintain the peace brought by my predecessors, and hope to ensure no future conflicts occur. I know that several of the other women here are Waterbenders as well, and I wish to see that women have an equal opportunity to learn this important aspect of our culture." Nuka looked at the crowd and noticed some women smiling and clapping softly. "I promise to help the Water Tribe become a part of the modern world, where women and men both are bending masters and leaders! I promise to help bring literacy to our people! I promise to help our culture become known to the outside world! And I promise I will never abandon my people!"

More of the crowd began applauding, and some were audibly cheering. Soon, the crowd became livelier and more people began cheering and applauding. Nuka smiled at the energized crowd and ran down the steps to the Temple.

Tiriak, who had been standing near the front of the crowd, ran up to Nuka and embraced her, spinning her around as he held her. "You were great! I can't believe you were able to inspire the crowd like this!"

"Thank you!" Nuka said, pressing her face into Tiriak's neck.

Tiriak set Nuka down and the two began to greet members of the crowd, hand in hand. An older couple walked up to the two, smiling and crying. The man had greying medium brown hair in a topknot and the woman had dark brown hair tied back in two braids.

"Nuka!" the man gasped, trying to hold back tears. "Do you recognize us?"

Nuka studied the couple and gasped, tears beginning to run down her cheeks. "Mama, Papa! You're here!"

Both her parents grabbed her and pulled her into a tight hug. "I've missed you so much!" Nuka cried.

"We've missed you too! And we are so proud of you and who you have become!" Akissiak wept, holding his daughter close. "You're such a beautiful young woman and are so brave to say what you've said tonight!"

"I wish I could stay for the rest of the night with you two and not have to do anything else," Nuka said sadly. "But I leave tomorrow to start learning the other elements. I still have to speak to others tonight and I have to prepare for my journey. I'm sorry."

Akissiak looked at his youngest daughter, saddened that after eleven years he had only gotten to see her for a few minutes. "I...I understand, I suppose." He collected his thoughts and then smiled faintly. "So we'll just say this is goodbye for now. And please know that your mother and I will always love you and be proud of you, no matter where you are in this world."

"I'll always love you too," Nuka replied, smiling. "Goodbye for now, Papa."

Nuka shared one final hug with her parents before beginning to speak to some of the other people from the crowd. After an hour or so the crowd began thinning out, which Nuka and Tiriak saw as an opportunity to leave and enjoy a few hours alone before she left the next morning. As they began to walk away, Nasaka approached them with a grave look on her face.

"Nuka, do you understand what that little stunt you pulled is going to cause!?" Nasaka chided. "Inuksuk is furious! He's said that if he catches any woman Waterbending in public he'll have them arrested!"

"There is no way he would actually do that," Nuka said dismissively.

"You don't know him like I do. I've seen him kill his own brothers, uncles, and cousins because they were threats. This man is dangerous!" Nasaka urged. "I know the last time we saw each other we ended on bad terms, but please listen to me not as your sister but as one of his wives! If there is any insubordination he can pin back to your speech, he will want you dead!"

Nuka looked at her older sister and sighed. "Alright, I'll ask Hima and Aklak to keep an eye on if anyone tries to stand up to Inuksuk. And if there is any sort of uprising, I'll take responsibility and halt my training until the situation resolves."

"Please, just take this seriously. I'll write to you if anything happens. I've been teaching myself to read and write using some of the old books and scrolls Inuksuk keeps," Nasaka insisted. "Please don't abandon me again!"

"I won't Nasaka, I promise," Nuka whispered as she and her older sister hugged briefly before Nasaka ran off to return to Inuksuk and the other high-ranking individuals.

"I hope that nothing happens. What you said was great, but-" Tiriak began.

"I know, I didn't think of the consequences. I never do," Nuka groaned. "Come on, I need to get my mind off of this. Tonight was supposed to be a good night, and I can't have this be the only thing on my mind while I travel to the Earth Kingdom."


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Ah! I'm a horrible person, I realized I haven't updated this story in like two months! I'm sorry! Life has just been incredibly hectic and stressful lately because I'm moving in a few weeks and I was busy getting that settled this summer! I promise I'll update again much sooner! Also, since I'm moving, I'm going to be going on a month-long hiatus starting the first week of August so that way I can focus more on everything I need to do. I'm planning on stopping at chapter 10 before going on hiatus, then finishing the rest of the story off starting in September. Anyway, I'm really sorry again and please feel free to bug me if I don't update again soon! And please enjoy chapter 8!**

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Chapter 8: The Day of Regrets

_Nuka,_

_Political unrest has broken out in the Northern Water Tribe. Your speech seems to have triggered a movement to stand against tradition. Inuksuk has issued a mandatory curfew in the North Pole, and any woman he catches Waterbending is to be arrested, however many people here are fearful that as the unrest grows his punishments will become more severe. The other White Lotus members and I will do our best to control the situation, but I cannot promise that it won't worsen._

_Sincerely, Hima_

The lines from Hima's letter echoed in Nuka's head. She had arrived in the Earth Kingdom Capital of Ba Sing Se a little over a month ago after three months of traveling, but the letter had arrived just yesterday, dated from a few weeks after she had left. The Northern Water Tribe was on the brink of war and Nuka was thousands of miles from her home. She didn't know if any of her loved ones were among those arrested, but couldn't help but imagine the worst.

Nuka was laying on a cot in the house of her Earthbending Master, a middle-aged man named Zei. Zei was noted to be the great-grandson of Avatar Bulan and was regarded as the finest Earthbending master in the Earth Kingdom, and was quite proud of the fact. A short portly man with an affinity for sake, Zei was quite demanding and expected the Avatar to always be on the top of her game. He demanded perfection and would expect nothing less. His son, Chen, would sometimes assist in lessons but was far less of a perfectionist than his father.

"Where is the Avatar?! She's late to her lesson again!" Zei shouted from outside.

"I think she may be laying down," Chen suggested.

"So? She's still late for her lesson! I don't care if the situation in the Northern Water Tribe is worsening! She needs to understand that she has responsibilities!" Zei complained. "She's not the first Avatar to have unrest in their homeland and she won't be the last."

Nuka sighed and got up from the cot. She was still wearing her casual clothes and had her hair loose, which Zei would not be happy about. She wandered outside to where Zei and Chen were waiting and nodded when she saw them.

"What are you doing?" Zei demanded. "Change out of those clothes! You need to be in the proper uniform to train!"

Chen frowned slightly. "Are you feeling alright? I know the news you got yesterday must not be what you wanted to hear."

"I'm obviously not feeling alright Chen!" Nuka snapped. "There's open rebellion and demonstrations in the North Pole and Inuksuk may be doing worse than just arresting people and imposing a curfew at this point! The letter was from a few weeks after I left and the situation could have become worse! And I'm stuck here, in the middle of this dirt-pit of a city!"

Zei walked up to Nuka and smacked the back of her head. "You aren't the only Avatar to have ever been in a situation like this! Quit acting like this, brat!"

"Father please don't get this way," Chen muttered.

Nuka glared at Zei and lowered herself into a fighting stance. "My people could be dying! Shouldn't I be worried about them!?"

Zei lowered into a fighting stance as well and cracked his neck. He then lifted a stone statue and sent it flying toward Nuka, who attempted to block the incoming object but fell backwards as it disintegrated around her. Nuka groaned and lifted her torso up, rubbing her head. Chen walked over to where the statue had hit to help the young woman up, but she rebuffed him and slowly stood up on her own.

"I'm done," Nuka grumbled as she walked away unsteadily.

"You had better come back here immediately so we can train! And make sure you are in proper attire!" Zei yelled after her.

...

_Hima,_

_I need to come home. I need to be able to help get the situation in the North Pole under control. Please, send back for me, I'm begging you. I can't stand not knowing what's going on._

_Nuka_

Nuka set down her brush and stared down at the letter. It felt strange to admit to anyone that she felt so helpless, but the guilt had continued to eat away at her as the day had gone on. She _needed_ to go home. She needed to see that Tiriak, Alutiik, Hima, and everyone else was still alright. The door to Nuka's room slid open, causing her to look up and glance behind her. Chen stood in the door entrance, holding a tray with a bowl of rice and cup of tea on it.

"I figured you could use something to eat," Chen said, smiling faintly.

Nuka didn't respond and turned back to her letter. Chen sighed and sat the tray down on the cot.

"Nuka, I know this situation is difficult, and I'm sorry that you're so far removed from everything. I know my father doesn't act like it but he's worried about this as well. He's lived through war, he understands how hard it is to go through it," Chen began.

Nuka sighed sadly and ran her hand through her short dark hair. "I just don't know how to react. This is my fault, I said something stupid at my public ceremony and now my people are paying for it."

Chen remained quiet and walked over to Nuka. "I'm sorry," he said finally. "My father has orders to act as your guardian until you've mastered Earth-Bending, so he can't let you leave until then. We'll keep in contact with the White Lotus members in the North Pole and let you know if any new developments form."

"Thanks," Nuka said, smiling faintly.

...

Nuka stood by the entrance to Zei's study nervously, trying to think of what she would say.

"What is it, brat? I can see you standing out there, if you have something to say just come in and say it," Zei barked, startling the girl.

She walked in to the study and bowed slightly, staring at her master. "Sifu, I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier. I'm sorry that I reacted this way."

"You can make it up by working harder. I'm going to be sure to give you brutal work for the next several months," Zei grumbled.

"Chen mentioned that you lived through war. He said that you would understand what I'm going through?" Nuka asked.

"Yes, I was alive during the last few decades of the War of Earth Kingdom Aggression. I was never involved in active combat, but my mother and father were. My whole family ended up caught up in the war. My son is lucky that he's never been through war, but now he may be thanks to this," Zei said. "But, I don't blame you. My great-grandmother, Avatar Bulan, played a significant role in causing the War of Earth Kingdom Aggression. Earth King Tai Hong wanted to invade the Air Nomads and her publicly alerting the Air Nomads and Fire Nation ended up backfiring. King Tai Hong ended up invading both nations, and the whole world was at war with itself."

"I'm sorry," Nuka replied quietly.

"It's in the past, there's no point in dwelling on it. You shouldn't dwell on this happening either, there's nothing you can do about it right now anyway. What you need to do is focus on your Earthbending training. If you slack off at all because of this you will be put through war by me!" Zei scolded.

"Thank you, Sifu," Nuka smiled, bowing before she exited the room.


End file.
